


Turkey Dance

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F, F/M, Humour, M/M, Thanksgiving, an AU where Darko is good for some reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 09:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16720536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Savvy and Darko host a Thanksgiving dinner for some of their closest friends. Sav belongs to sabrinaeveningfeather on tumblr, Daine belongs to hellishsam, Willow belongs to willownorthbook, Jay belongs to spaceunicorndot and Ariana belongs to inappropriatestarstable on tumblr.





	Turkey Dance

Sabrina Eveningfeather stooped to pet one of her cats, running her hand along the animal's black fur, on her way out her front door. In one hand, she held her wallet and phone, in the other, she now picked up her house keys from the bowl near the front door.

"Be good, kay?" said Sav, turning around to smile at her feline friend. The cat purred, front paws kneading the pale grey carpet as it looked up at her. "Oh, who am I kidding, you're always good." With that said, she opened her front door, did one more quick check to ensure that she had everything, and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. Her cat was still inside but that was fine- he could escape through one of her windows, she'd left a few open just a crack. This was a good neighbourhood, after all, and her neighbours would alert the police (or young riders, as most people did when trouble was brewing). Also, anyone who did break in would find themselves hexed. Don't mess with a witch.

Leaving the apartment block, Savvy walked along the footpath until she reached the tram station, where she stood checking her phone while she waited for the tram to arrive. She had no new messages, though the last messages she'd received had been from Darko, the man whom she saw as a brother. It was just him confirming (in a paragraph of text, of course) that he would be there for the Thanksgiving dinner, and that he'd bring something extra special. Savvy grinned in delight all over again at his promise. Darko could always make dinnertime fun.

Though Darko could have easily created all of the food using magic, Savvy had offered to cook it with him, and he had allowed her to do so. Even if the cooking would inevitably result in a huge mess in the kitchen. It had in the past, after all.

In his little home by the sea, Darko put the turkey in the oven. Well, the last of the turkeys, anyway. There were two for this dinner since Savvy had invited so many friends, and he knew that many of them would prefer a leg or a wing. He could have altered the physiology of the turkey to have extra limbs, of course, but he was saving his magic for something else. Something extra.

The magician was coming, he'd been told, and Darko fully intended on showing this showman just what he could do with his own magic. So he would put on the show to end all shows. After all, with Darko, dinner was always the show. It had become his signature thing, more than his cane, more than his coat, more than even his red hair or blue eyes or the plush toy keychain that he always had attached to his bag.

A knock on the front door announced the arrival of Savvy, and Darko turned, beaming, to go and answer it, leaving his oven mitts on his kitchen table. He'd set the timer, he made sure of that before he left the room, checking the display on the little magnetic timer that he had attached to his fridge.

"Darko!" Savvy cheered, throwing her arms up when Darko opened the front door. Almost immediately, she doubled over with laughter, possibly at his novelty apron, which had 'Kiss the dark cook' emblazoned across the front of it in large black letters. The apron itself was, of course, made of a red material.

"It is wonderful, as ever, to see you too, Sabrina," said Darko, smiling fondly at her despite being the source of her laughter. There was so much sadness in the world, after all, laughter was always a good thing. Ydris was right about that, at least.

"Oh man," said Savvy, straightening up and wiping away a tear. She gave another giggle. "That's great." She sniffed the air, then gasped, staring at him, eyes wide with dismay. "You started cooking without me?"

"The turkeys will take all day to cook," said Darko. "You know this, Savvy."

"I guess," said Savvy, pouting. But then, she brightened. "But I can still help you with the other things, right?"

"Of course," said Darko. "We still need to make the bread rolls, and the cranberry sauce, and the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes and green beans."

"You say that like those last two are hard," said Savvy. Darko shrugged.

"They still need doing," said Darko. "Perhaps you can have those two vitally important jobs."

"No thanks," said Savvy. She pushed past him on her way inside of the house, heading straight for the kitchen. "You can do those boring things, I'm going to work on the stuffing and cranberry sauce."

"Very well," said Darko. "Then I will begin the bread rolls."

"Wait, you're making them from scratch, right?" Savvy asked, leaning her head out of the kitchen as she spoke to him.

"Of course," said Darko. "However, I should possibly have put them on earlier. Or started making them earlier."

"I'll help," said Savvy, sounding chirpy. Too chirpy. Darko was immediately suspicious as he re-entered his kitchen. Savvy was humming to herself as she put her apron on (this one read 'kitchen witch' on the front in white writing on a dark green background) and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"If you insist," said Darko.

"Oh, I do," said Savvy, grinning. Somehow, Darko didn't trust that grin.

Five minutes into making the bread rolls, Darko received a handful of flour to his chest. He stared blankly ahead, his hands still holding the measuring cup of yeast, while Savvy howled with laughter. He turned to her, glowering, and tossed the powdered yeast at her. Savvy lurched back with a scream.

"Now I'm gonna grow!" she fretted, white dusting her face and hair. Darko scoffed.

"You'll live," said Darko. "I, however, may not." The next handful of flour hit him right in the face. Savvy grinned.

"Are you okay, Darko?" Savvy asked, eyes wide in feigned worry. "You're looking a little pale, there."

"Oh, grow up," said Darko, flinging a spoonful of yeast at her. Savvy squealed and ducked, coming up laughing with more floury ammunition.

Eventually, a truce was declared, the two finally making the dough for the rolls and setting it aside to rise.

"Rise," said Savvy, bending down to be eye level with the yeast.

"Rise," Darko echoed, his voice far more dramatic, far more serious. Savvy looked back and, seeing him striking a dramatic pose, couldn't help but laugh. Idiot.

The rest of the cooking went by fairly uneventfully, the food somehow being made despite the many messes and interruptions. By the end of it, the two cooks stood back proudly, covered in flour, yeast, and cranberry juice, but smiling at their creations. It all looked quite delicious, steam rising from the food and the turkeys gleaming and golden brown.

"We did good, kid," said Savvy, reaching up to pat Darko's shoulder.

"That we did," said Darko, a proud smile gracing his lips. "Now, would you do the honours of keeping the food hot?"

"It would be my honour," said Savvy. She cast a simple spell over the food to keep it hot while Darko opened a portal to the fancy, lavish dining room where the group would be sharing their meal. It looked far too elegant for what Darko had planned, but that was the whole point.

"After you, Sabrina," said Darko, bowing low to his 'sister'. Savvy nodded and, picking up the beans, stepped through the portal with a smile on her face.

An hour later, everything was set out for the perfect Thanksgiving meal. And just in time, too, as the first person knocked on the door, making Savvy squeal with excitement and bounce on the spot. Darko chuckled.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and let your friends in," said Darko.

"Oh, right, I should do that, shouldn't I?" said Savvy, looking sheepish. Darko smiled warmly at her as Savvy made her way to the door, opening it to grin at her friends. "Hi, guys! Come in, we're ready to eat. Darko's starving."

"I am not," said Darko, looking put out at the insinuation. Savvy only laughed at him.

"I had to stop you from eating everything as we cooked it and set the table," said Savvy. "But come in, my friends." She stood to the side, grinning as her friends entered the lavish dining room. Not all of them had been able to make it, either having their own families to spend time with or other commitments (or just not feeling like celebrating, which was fine), but there were still a few people- Willow with her boyfriend Jay, Daine with his boyfriend Ydris, Louisa with her fiancee Lisa, and Ariana.

"Oh, so it's just a feast?" Louisa murmured to her fiancee as they took their seats at the table.

"Yeah," Lisa murmured back. Louisa nodded, seeming to relax a little now that she knew what to expect.

"Dig in," said Savvy, plopping herself down at the other end of the table from Darko, who sat at the head, looking like a king. Ordinarily, his queen, Shadow, would have been by his side, but she'd opted to spend Thanksgiving with her family. And that was fine.

"Eh, at least there's vegetarian options," said Ariana as she scooped some beans and mashed potatoes onto her plate.

"Ah, but don't eat the turkeys yet," said Darko, holding out his hand. All eyes turned to him, everyone giving Darko puzzled looks. Darko smiled and stood up, pushing his chair back as he did so. "We need them for our show."

Darko snapped his fingers, and the turkeys began to dance. Savvy grinned from ear to ear as the turkeys first trembled a little, then climbed to their 'legs' and stood with their wings out. The two cooked birds took several tottering steps towards each other before turning so that they were back to back and beginning to dance. They bounced a little at first, bending their 'knees', before doing little dances full of flailing wings and legs and waving bodies. Everyone watched in utter shock, unbelieving of what they saw.

But, when the turkeys turned to face each other and took each other by the wing to spin around, splattering those closest with turkey juices, Savvy lost it, leaning over her plate and cackling as she slapped the table. Her laughter was infectious once people got over the shock, spreading to first Willow, then Daine, until the whole table was in stitches. Even Ydris at least chuckled, though Jay looked a little alarmed.

"Why are they doing that?" Jay murmured to his girlfriend. "Is this a normal human thing?"

"Definitely not," said Willow between helpless giggles. She dissolved into giggles again, though, as the turkeys started to kick their legs high and raise invisible hats from their ‘heads’.

To finish, the turkeys returned to their plates, struck a star pose complete with jazz hands, and flopped back onto their backs with a meaty squelch. That sound alone set Savvy off again, as it always did.

"At my dinner parties," said Darko, raising his voice a little to be heard above the sounds of laughter, "dinner is the show."

"I know, and I love it," said Savvy, wiping away a tear of laughter. But giggles kept bubbling up, even as she began to serve herself some of the food.

"I've seen a lot of shit but that was the weirdest fucking thing I've ever seen," said Ariana, unable to wipe the grin from her face. "What the fuck was that?"

"A show," said Darko simply.

"Hmm, perhaps I should inquire as to how that was managed," Ydris mused thoughtfully as he looked at the turkeys.

"Fuck no," said Daine, leaning away from his boyfriend. "I don't want my dinner dancing, thanks."

"I would only tell you," said Darko as he carved himself a slice of turkey, "if you tell me how you manage to keep such a good complexion."

"I moisturise," said Ydris simply, a smirk gracing his lips. Darko had no idea as to why Louisa and Ariana laughed so much at that simple statement. Was he joking? Or did he actually moisturise?

"And what do you moisturise with?" Darko asked. "If you have a list of ingredients, I can have Sabrina create this moisturiser."

"Stop," Willow groaned, rubbing her eyes while Louisa and Ariana pointed at Daine, who sunk further into his seat.

"I don't understand," said Darko.

"They're making a sex joke," said Willow, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Because they think they're funny."

"We're fucking hilarious, thank you," said Ariana.

"It was a little funny," said Jay, rubbing his girlfriend's back.

"Yeah, maybe it was the first time," said Willow. "But this is like the fifth time they've made this joke."

"Ah," said Darko. "Well then, if you will not share the secret to your youthful appearance, I will not share the secret to my dancing food."

"Ah, if only I could sell what makes me youthful," said Ydris, looking wistful for a moment. "But, alas, it is impossible, even for someone as skilled as I."

"Skilled in what ways?" Ariana muttered, and Louisa snorted into her glass of water. Willow rolled her eyes again.

"Before this descends into chaos," said Savvy, taking some turkey for herself, "I think we should say what we're all thankful for. I'll start." She sat back, smiling. "I'm thankful for having my store in Jorvik City, and for having all of my wonderful friends. Who wants to go next?"

"I will," said Louisa, looking at her fiancee and then around at her friends. "I'm also thankful to have you guys as my friends. And to Willow, for introducing me to the group. Even if it was Daine who first introduced us, technically. But I met most of the group through Willow, so." She took a sip of her water and snagged a bread roll and the butter, feeling a little awkward.

"My turn," said Lisa. "I'm thankful to my wonderful fiancee, and to these friends who've made life easier for her while I've been busy with Soul Rider business. And I'm thankful to still have my beloved Starshine alive and well."

"I'll be sappy for a sec," said Daine. He paused, biting into a turkey leg and chewing for a moment while he thought. He swallowed. "I'm thankful for Cloud and my friends and my boyfriend, who's still with me after everything."

"I echo that last sentiment," said Ydris. "I am most thankful to have you in my life, my phoenix." Daine looked like he was on the verge of tears before he blinked them away.

"I'm thankful for rich old guys who'll pay me loads for sex," said Ariana.

"How lovely," said Willow drily. Ariana only lifted her eyebrows and took a sip of her drink. "Myself, I'm grateful for all of you guys, of course, even the ones who can't be here, and for my boyfriend. You've made me so, so happy Jay. I love you." She squeezed his hand, to which Louisa cooed.

"I'm thankful to have all of you wonderful, accepting people as my friends," said Jay. "And to Willow, for everything." Willow beamed, tears in her eyes as she leaned in to give her boyfriend a kiss.

"Then that leaves only me," said Darko. "I am thankful to have all of you here, gathered together to share a meal. And for accepting me for the tortured soul that I am."

"Sap," Savvy accused. Darko scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Though it may not have been the most traditional Thanksgiving dinner, nor did it have all of the friend group, it was at least a great deal better than any other Thanksgiving dinner. There were no awkward family fights, no awkward questions, none of that. Only happiness, and warmth. And, dancing turkeys aside, there was something different about it, too. Special. Perhaps it was that special, particular aura of found family, radiating out and reaching even to those who could not make it.


End file.
